Toothpick-package



Paton ted Mar. l8, I902.

No. 695.49l.

w. REINHARD. TOOTHPICK PACKAGE.

(Application filed June 14, 1901.)

(No Modei.

THE NORRIS Pzrzns 60., Puomuma. WASNINOTOH, I} c.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILI-IELM REINHARD, OF BERLIN, GERMANY.

TOOTH PICK-PACKAGE SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 695,491, dated March 18, 1902.

Application filed June 14-, 190]. Serial No. 64,578. (No model.) i

To to whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILHELM REINHARD,

Manufacture of Toothpicks and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

This invention relates to the manufacture of toothpicks, and has for its'object to so arrange them as to be readily broken oif for use and fully protected for carrying in form of a comb-like piece in which a nnmberof toothpicks are fast by one end on a bar from which they may be broken oif as required for use, while their free pointed end is protected by a guard extending over the entire row of toothpicks, so as to prevent the said pointed free ends thereof catching in the fabric of a garment or the like, and thus become unintentionally broken off.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, I

will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line A B of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a similar section of a slightly-modified form. p

The toothpicks a are formed with a groove or grooves g for facilitating their removal and are connected by one end to a bar, and thus form a comb-like arrangement of a row of toothpicks secured together, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A convenient manner of manufacture is to form cross-cuts in thin pallets, so as to produce anumber of prongs attached to the bar I). It is advantageous to have the b of dovetail section to fit into a corresponding groove of a base piece 0 having plates (I screwed to both ends so as to secure the bar I) in position;

In order to prevent the toothpicks being pulled by their points for the purpose of breaking the same off the bar b, I prefer to protect the points by means of a cardboard cover e,

fastened to a solid portion f, left centrally upon the bar I), while cutting the prongs a.

According to the modification shown in Fig. 3 the toothpicks are directly formed in one piece with the base-piece o. In this case the entire device aftervall the toothpicks have been taken oif has to be renewed, while with the previously-described arrangement, Figs. land 2, the base-piece or stand 0, which may be made of metal, wood, or other appropriate material, may be permanently utilized-that is, when all of the splints of one series or group have been detached the remaining bar I) can be removed from the base and another series of connected splints readily inserted in the groove in the stand. It will be seen that the splints are all supported in vertical position with their. reduced free ends uppermost and that a portion of each splint is exposed be tween the base or stand 0 and the shield or cover 6. By this arrangement the end members of the series of splints can be easily grasped and detached. The cover or shield is so arranged that it obstructs or interferes with the detaching or removal of any but the end splints of the series.

By means of my improved arrangement th unused toothpicks are protected from breakage and cannot be pulled by their points, while,moreover, itprevents previously-used toothpicks being inadvertently mixed'with fresh ones.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed,

I declare that what I claim is 1. The combination of a series of splints connected at one end, and an enlarged base 'or stand engaging said connected ends and supporting the splints in position.

2.'The combination of a series of splints connected at one end, an enlarged base ongaged with the connected ends and supporting said splints, and a cover arranged over the free ends of the splints. h

3. The combination of a series of splints connected at one end, and a fixed cover arranged over the free ends of the splints and obstructing the detachmentof any but the end splints of the series.

4. The combination of a base or stand, a se ries of splints connected together and to said base at one end, and a cover or shield protecting the free ehds 0f the splints, said splints Ioo being of such length that the opposite sides of anintermediate section of each are exposed between the base and the shield or cover.

5. The combination of a series of splints connected at one end, an intermediate one of said series being of greater width than the others, and a shield secured to said intermediate, Wider, splint and protecting the free ends of the others of the series.

6. The combination of a series of splints connected at one end, a base having a groove in its upper surface to receive said connected ends, and a cover arranged over the free, upper, ends of the splints. 

